Program Locations and Details

Program Overview & Chartered Financial Analyst Designation

The Master of Financial Economics (MFE) program at Ohio University is proud to be a participant in the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program. The CFA Institute administers the CFA Program, which awards the Chartered Financial Analyst charter. The CFA charter is a highly respected investment credential throughout the world.

According to the CFA Institute, “the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) credential is the professional standard of choice for more than 31,000 investment firms worldwide.” Leading investment firms often require job applicants for key positions to have the CFA Charter so as to demonstrate their mastery of the up-to-date investment analysis and decision-making skills, technical competence, and commitment to the highest professional standards. To become a CFA charterholder, one must pass a series of three challenging exams. According to the CFA Institute, CFA candidates must spend at least 300 hours of review per exam.

Being an Affiliated University means that Ohio University’s MFE curriculum is closely tied to the practice of investment management and is helpful to students preparing for the CFA Program exams. OHIO has demonstrated to the CFA Institute that the MFE curriculum covers at least 70 percent of the Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK) topics for all three levels of the CFA Program exams including ethics. Students in OHIO’s MFE program benefit from this affiliation by having access to all levels of the CFA Program sample exams and the CFA Program Awareness Scholarships.

Students who complete the MFE program perform well above the national average when it comes to passing the Chartered Financial Analyst exams.

Business Week has ranked Ohio University’s College of Business as one of the top 50 business schools in the United States.

A financial analyst in the first seven institutions listed above would do “portfolio strategy,” which includes:

Analysis of individual stocks, bonds, etc.

Investment timing

Investment selection

The MFE teaches skills essential for the job market. These include but are not limited to: bond and equity valuation, options pricing, forecasting techniques, financial statement analysis, derivatives trading, and portfolio management.

Difference from the Applied Economics Degree

The current M.A. program in Economics is a theory program with some application emphasis. It prepares the students for Ph.D. programs, employment opportunities at government agencies such as the Department of Labor, the Department of Commerce, and the Federal Reserve Banks. The MFE program prepares students for employment opportunities in the financial sector. The program plan was designed after interviewing with executives of financial companies like, Merrill Lynch, Investment Management & Research Inc, Franklin Advisors, and National City Corp.

Difference from the MBA

Unlike an MBA program, which is very broad and covers many different general areas, this program is highly focused. It is designed for those who want to pursue careers as bond analysts, equity analysts, investment portfolio managers, etc. Whereas an MBA program is designed to help managers to run a business, the MFE program emphasizes the interaction between financial markets and the economic environment; students in this program learn how to apply current conditions in broad-based economic markets to specific financial markets.

STEM Designation

The MFE program at Ohio University prepares diverse students to tackle with the challenges facing financial services. The program qualifies as an Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT) designated program, allowing international students to extend their training in the United States by 24 months after graduation.

Domestic

International Graduate Student Expenses

Financial Aid

Limited financial aid is available on a competitive basis. The grade point average (GPA), the university from which the candidate has graduated, and other credentials are used for aid decisions. No separate form is required to apply for financial aid. The applicant needs to specify if he/she would like to apply for aid in the graduate application form.

Program Mission

Since the program is based on the CFA Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK), its primary mission is to provide students with the quantitative and theoretical tools for a successful career in investment management.

Program Learning Objectives

Learn how an economy operates in general and financial markets in particular.

Understand relationship between different segments of financial market (e.g., equity and bond markets).

Understand the portfolios management processes for various investors according to their objectives and constraints using state-of-the-art techniques under the guidance of modern portfolio theories.

Learn how to adhere the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conducts when providing investment services.

Contact Us

For more information about the graduate programs in Economics, contact Dr. K. Doroodian, Director of the Graduate Program in the Department of Economics.

Collaborative Agreement with Otterbein University

Otterbein University and Ohio University singed a collaborative agreement under which Otterbein MBA students who choose a concentration area in finance will take MFE courses at Ohio University-Pickerington. These credit hours will be transferred to Otterbein University and applied toward the MBA credit hours requirements.